


This is What We Do

by P_Artsypants



Series: Of Mustard and Three Foot Purple Tongues [8]
Category: Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Mild Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-21 22:50:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16585766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/P_Artsypants/pseuds/P_Artsypants
Summary: Just a normal day in Jump City





	This is What We Do

The team sat in the common room around the table. It was a slow afternoon, and they had decided to play cards. BS to be precise.

"Robin, what does BS stand for?"

"It's a bad term, that means 'you're bluffing' we pretend it stands for Bologna Sandwich."

"Or Bible Study." Beast Boy inserted.

"Yeah, that too."

"So the real BS is something I should not say?"

"Exactly." He smiled.

"Four kings." Beast Boy said as he put down four cards.

"BS," Raven droned.

"Dangumit!"

"It's not smart to try to pass off four cards of one suit, someone's going to notice. Especially if they have one of the cards."

"Ohh..."

The game was interrupted by the mayor's face popping up on the screen. "Hello Titans." He said a bit solemnly.

"Ah, Mayor Bradbury. How can we help?" Robin asked, in leader mode.

"Not to worry. It's something small. My family has recently received a threat on our house."

"And that's something small?" Beast Boy interrupted.

Cyborg elbowed him. "Let the man finish!"

"My security team is good enough to protect my wife and I, but there's my daughter..." He waved someone over. A teenage girl came in front of the camera. She looked pleasant and quiet. "This is Tiffany. We want to avoid people assuming things and it would be best if Tiff could resume normal life. I was hoping one of you could escort her around town, just for today."  
The Titans looked at each other. "I'll do it." Robin spoke up.

Tiffany smiled in a girlish way. "Thank you very much. I simply have an appointment at the mall with some of my friends. I'll come home after that."

"Sounds fun. What time?"

"2 o'clock."

"Alright, do I need to pick you up from home?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, see you then."

"Hey Rob, I'm surprised you jumped on this. You usually hate the baby sitting job."

"Yeah, but I've met Tiffany before. She's nice, not at all the spoiled brat people think she is."

"Like Kitten?"

"Yes! Perfect example! She really hates the fact her dad is the mayor, and tries to be normal."

"Oh, that's good."

"I mostly took it because I'm hoping for some action." He shrugged.

Beast Boy wagged his eyebrows. "Action, huh?"

Robin gave him a blank look. "Not that kind of action, you dunderhead."

2 o'clock rolled around and Robin headed to the garage. "Star, Raven, come with me."

They talked in the elevator. "What do you need?" Raven asked, getting straight to the point.

"I need you guys to follow behind, just in case something happens."

"Like if the girls jump you?"

He laughed. "Yeah, that could happen too."

They took off. Tiffany was complacent and the easiest charge Robin ever had. He picked her up at her house, but she requested that they take the train to avoid drawing attention. It would look like they just happened to be going to the same place. He agreed and set his bike on auto, in case he needed it somewhere down the line.

The ride was quiet, not many people paid attention to what he was doing. They were used to seeing the Titans around town. They were still teenagers after all. Except there was one kid that sat across from him, staring at him with wide eyes in fascination.

"So, I hope you don't expect me to hang with you and your friends. I'll just follow closely behind."

"Actually, I'm not meeting with my friends..." She said with a blush tinting her cheek. Robin gave her a look to continue. "I'm meeting up with...my boyfriend. My dad doesn't know I'm seeing him though. He's a really nice and kind guy! But he's of average looks and he gets average grades, and his family is lower middle class."

"So dear ole dad doesn't think he's good enough?"

"Exactly. But he's nicer than most of the 'worthy' guys I know. I'm sorry for lying."

"Hey, he's still a friend and you're meeting him at the mall. In my eyes, you're perfectly fine."

She smiled.

"I would talk to your dad though, maybe you can convince him. It's never a good thing to do things behind your dad's back."

"Thank you Robin."

"Hey, it's no big deal."

"How do things go with Starfire?"

He turned red and started stuttering. "What-what ever do you mean?" He put on a fake smile.

"Oh, come on! Everyone knows you two are dating! It's no secret! My friends would kill me if I didn't ask you about it!"

Again, he blushed, pulling at his collar. "It's complicated."

"How so?"

"Uh...we actually aren't dating...we're just...REALLY good friends."

"But by the way your acting, I tend to think you like her more than a friend."

Steam practically came out of his ears. "Can we not talk about this anymore?"

"Okay, but can I please give you some advice?"

"Uhh...what?"

"Just go for it." She smiled.

He smiled back, a little nervously.

Suddenly, the car gave a sudden jerk and came to a screeching halt.

Robin activated hero mode. "That's not good."

An explosion went off on one side of the train and blew it of the tracks, only to hang off the other side. It was suspended on a bridge, in the middle of the city. The wheels had caught on the tracks to keep it from sliding all the way off. It wouldn't last though.

"At least I get my action...alright people! Everyone move to that side of the train, we need the weight to keep us from falling!" He made his way over and started to pry the doors open. The car turned black. Raven had part of the train, and Star had the rest. Robin helped Tiffany off and then children, women and elders. The men helped them make their way out.

"This is…not ideal." He noticed the cars below the bridge, the people still sitting inside. "Why are people so stupid?!" He helped a little girl out of the car. "Tiffany, take my communicator and call the tower! We need back up!" He threw it to her and immediately, she did as she was told.

Raven had pried the other doors open using her powers, and people were helping each other out like the first car.

Starfire began to sweat as the cars slid an inch.

The T-car pulled up in record time as Cyborg and Beast Boy got to work, seeing the problem right off the bat. Cyborg ran up to two black guys in a Escalade. "Yo! Get out of the car, man!"

"No way! I still have six payments on this puppy!"

"Your life is more important!" He opened the door and pulled the guy out. "Now go!" People began to realize what was happening and began to abandon their cars. Much to the team's relief.

Only a few minutes had passed, and the train was almost empty. The cars underneath were stranded. Starfire was using her strength to hold up four cars, the one at the end kept sliding and making her nervous. Suddenly it gave a creek and the whole thing slid off the track to dangle.

"It's okay! That one's empty!" Some man called.

"Where's my son?! I can't find my son!" A woman cried from the crowd.

"Oh my God! He's still in the car!"

Starfire's eyes shot to the little boy crying as he clung to one of the poles for dear life. The connection between the cars would snap at any moment.

"Raven!" Starfire screamed.

"I've got it!" And she took the two cars Starfire had previously been holding, third free of occupants. Star flew into the car and grabbed the boy tightly to her chest before the connection gave out. She didn't have time to escape. The car fell onto the street, crushing cars and cracking the pavement. After it fell, the other one followed suit, landing on top of the other car and smashing it like a pancake. The whole thing went up in flames.

"STARFIRE!" Robin screamed from his post.

The boy's mother wailed.

"Beast Boy! Help me out!" Cyborg ran to the scene and started ripping apart the debris. Beast Boy morphed into an elephant and started putting the fire out.

For a moment, the world seemed to be going in slow motion. Especially for Robin who was practically holding his breath and praying. A small crowd had gathered and waited for one of their heroes to emerge. But as time passed, it didn't look good. Finally, the metal groaned and bulged. "We got movement!"

After the rest of the train was empty, and Raven lowered it to the road below. Cyborg lifted the piece Star was stuck under and she slowly crawled out, the child clinging to her neck. As she stood up, the crowd started to cheer and clap for her.

She floated back up to the bridge and as soon as she came into sight, the mother came running. "Joey!"

"Mommy!"

Starfire handed the roughed up child back to his mother. "I am sorry, I could not protect him completely and he requires some medical attention."

"No, you saved him! I can never thank you enough!" The woman hugged her.

"Thank you Miss Starfire!" The little boy hugged her too.

"Starfire!" Robin ran up. "That was amazing! I just...wow...I was so...ugh, come here." He threw his arms around her and hugged her tight. He released her when he heard her wince.

"You okay?"

"Just a scratch, I will be fine."

He was skeptical, but let it go. "Sorry to leave you guys with the clean up, but I'm going to take Tiffany home." He put his cape around Starfire's shoulders. "I'll stop by here afterwards and check in. If not, I'll just go home." He gave Starfire a look that said 'get medical attention at the tower'. "See ya later." His motorcycle drove up and they drove off.

After they were out sight, Starfire collapsed.

At the house of the mayor, Robin went inside to tell him what happened. In the living room, her father was sitting in the dark with the television on. An empty bottle of bourbon sat next to him. Already, Robin didn't like the situation.

"Mayor Bradbury?" Robin questioned.

The man paid no attention. He simply stared at the screen. " _Today, we saw another demonstration of our heroes' bravery. The L train was bombed just moments ago, and was dangling off the side of the tracks. Fortunately, the leader of the Titans was on board at the time and was ready to efficiently evacuate the cars, while his teammates held the train in place. The most extraordinary part of the story is on the Titan's member Starfire. As the car was about to fall, she flew inside and used her body as a shield for a small boy. There were no causalities, and only minor damage. The Mayor's daughter was also on board. It's fortunate that the Titans were here right away, or this could have been a horribly sad situation. Starfire was unavailable to make a comment…_ "

"They're going to kill me. I'm a fool...oh what have I done?"

"Tiffany, go upstairs and pack your bag. You aren't staying here tonight." Robin commanded her.

She nodded and fleeted up the stairs.

"Mayor Bradbury." He said as he closed his hand on the man's shoulder.

He burst into tears. "I'm sorry! He said I would be safe if I did it. I hoped you would make it...my poor Tiffany! I'm so selfish..."

"What are you talking about? Who's he?"

"I just don't want to die!"

Robin grabbed his collar, "Listen you blubbering drunken fool, I need a name. Who threatened you?"

"He said his name was Slade! He said if I hired you to protect Tiffany, he would spare me! I didn't know he was going to bomb the tracks! I'm sorry!"

"Did he tell you to tell Tiffany to take the train?"

"Yes!" He cried.

Robin sighed. "I'm taking Tiffany to her friend's house, to stay safe."

"What about me?!"

Robin gave an angry smile. "You have your security team." If a man thought more about his own safety then his families, he was selfish and didn't deserve the power the city invested in him.

Tiffany was waiting for him in the lobby. "He does that a lot. I think its stress."

"There's no excuse."

"I didn't say there was. But there is an explanation. And he's my father."

"Still, you aren't safe here. The threat on your family is very real. And you're a target."

"Where am I going?"

"To your boyfriend's house. He's unknown to your dad right? They won't get your location from him."

She nodded in understanding.

At the boy's house, Tiffany knocked on the door and his mother opened it. Robin explained the situation in basic detail and she was eager to let Tiff stay.

The boy came outside and hugged her. "Tiff! Oh thank God! I saw on the TV what happened! I'm so glad you're safe!" He kissed the top of her head and smoothed her hair. He made eye contact with Robin and nodded in thanks. Robin straddled his ride and left.

When he arrived home, he immediately went to the medical bay to check in on Starfire, only to find her gone. He stormed over to her room and pounded on the door. "Why didn't you get medical attention?!"

"I did. Cyborg said I am fine." She spoke wearily. But she didn't say anything other than that.

He went over to Cyborg's room. "How was Star?"

"What do you mean? Why are you asking me?"

"I told her to get medical attention when you guys got home. I just checked in and she said you said she was fine."

"I didn't check on her...after she woke up, she went to her room."

"What do you mean 'after she woke up'?"

"Oh, after you and Tiff left, she passed out. We took her back to the tower and by time we got in, she was awake."

"And you didn't check her in anyway?"

"She said Tamaranians heal differently."

The conversation didn't even have the chance to finish as Robin disappeared into the hallway. He ran to Starfire's room and typed in the override code, letting him in. Star laid on her stomach on her bed. The part of her back that was showing was almost black from bruises. Dried blood stuck to her flesh. Her top and waist of her skirt were stained a deep red. She groaned.

"Starfire!" He cried as he ran over to her.

"No...I am fine..."

"You are in no way 'fine'. I'm taking you to the medical bay. Hang on." He scooped her up in his arms as her limbs dangled. She didn't want to admit it, but she was in a lot of pain. Robin set her down on the bed and locked the door. "No one will come in. Let me get you cleaned up."

"That requires me to remove my clothing, doesn't it?"

"It's stained pretty badly, anyways."

"I will need some assistance." She asked wearily.

He nodded and helped her with her armbands and boots. Her torque and belt were set aside to be cleaned later. Robin grabbed a gown for her while she removed her shirt.

"Are all of your wounds on your back?"

"Yes."

He narrowed his eyes to say 'you better not be lying to me.'

"I only have a bruise on my stomach. There is nothing you can do for that, so do not worry."

He ordered her to lie on her stomach while he collected medical supplies. Coming up to her side, he sat sideways next to her. "This may hurt a bit, but your some of your cuts are infected." He drew her hair out of the way.

"Okay..." She whispered.

A cotton ball saturated with hydrogen peroxide touched her skin. Already, she could feel the chemical bubbling on her cuts. She clenched her hand around the sheets. "This is why I did not want you to treat me. It hurts!"

"I know Star, but it'll hurt a lot more if you let it fester."

Robin was the only one on the team trained in physical injuries. Major injuries. Cyborg was good with all the technical stuff, like pulses and X-rays, and Raven could make the pain go away. But Robin had previously worked with a man who got shot and stabbed on a normal basis. To remove a bullet from the shoulder was nothing. And yet...he was having a horrible time cleaning up scratches and his best friends back. After he patched her up, he tied up her gown and let her turn over.

"Now, I want you to get plenty of bed rest, do you understand?"

"May I please sleep in my own room? I do not like to sleep in here."

"Fine." He moved to lift her up.

"Oh, you do not have to carry me. I am perfectly able to walk."

"Oh no you don't!" He seized her up in his arms. "Bed rest means, you don't do anything. You let me pamper you, you got it?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I believe I do."

He carried her back to her own room and tucked her into bed. "Comfy?"

"Much. Thank you."

He sat next to her and played with her hair. "Star...when I saw you fly after that little boy, my heart swelled with pride. I don't know anyone who would have done that. You showed true courage in a difficult situation. But when that train fell, I just about had a heart attack. I don't know if you heard me, but I screamed after you like I had been shot." He gave a pitiful laugh. "I was terrified. I really thought you were...hmm, a little more than scratched up."

"But I had told you. I am alright." She smiled.

_"Just go for it."_

"Um..." His face turned red as he scratched the back of his neck. "I'm sorry if this is too forward...but uh..." He gulped. "Oh screw it." He leaned forward and kissed her. "You're my hero, Star."

"As you are mine." He suddenly became aware of her arms snaking around his neck. "Did you know that Tamaranians heal faster when involved in acts of affection?" She tugged on his ear.

"You clever little Minx." He didn't mind so much and let her kiss him again.

He had definitely gotten his action for the day.


End file.
